HUNTSVILLE, Alabama — Nearly 700 tour operators, destination representatives, tour suppliers and other travel professionals gathered for NTA’s Travel Exchange in Huntsville, Alabama, November 17–20. Organizers noted that the event’s attendance showed significant growth over its 2023 edition, demonstrating both the growing strength of the association and the overall travel industry.
“Our attendance is up 18% year-over-year,” said NTA president Catherine Prather. “That growth is new members, as well as first-time attendees for members who may have been around for a long time. There’s a palpable buzz about NTA — our staff, our board and our members hear it. It’s a good sign that business is going well.”
That buzz seems to represent industrywide optimism about the future of group travel. During the event, NTA announced the results of surveys that indicated strong business outcomes among all segments of its membership.
“Our tour operators told us their 2024 business is better than 2023,” Prather said. “We also hear that from the [destinations] and suppliers. Looking to 2025, all three member categories tell us business is looking better than 2024. That points to a healthy tour operator audience within the NTA community.”
Another indication of a healthy tour operator economy is the growing number of companies being started, acquired or led by younger professionals. The association’s outgoing chair, Fraser Neave, is a millennial and the second-generation leader of his family’s company, Wells Gray Tours. Several incoming board members are also younger professionals who have recently acquired or taken on executive roles in their organizations.
“On our board, we have several younger people, and they’re all second or third generations of older companies,” Prather said. “That’s a very good sign. We’re offering training on succession planning and leadership training. We’re looking for future leaders in the organization who have a diverse mindset. We want to represent a lot of different voices.”
The association’s diversity efforts took center stage during a luncheon, when leaders of NTA partners The Green Book Institute and The Green Book Experience presented their inaugural Cultural Tourism Awards. The award winners were Huntsville Revisited, the YMCA and Cherokee Nation — organizations whose work represents the spirit of the historic Green Book, which guided Black travelers to safe accommodations and services during the days of segregation.
“As we grow as tourism professionals and talk about the spirit of America, we have an environment where we can include cultural experiences of all different backgrounds in the story,” said Karin Aaron, founder and CEO of The Green Book Experience. “This is a new initiative for us, but we know that the stories behind cultural travel are here to stay.”
This year’s Travel Exchange also marked the launch of a strategic partnership with the American Indian Alaska Native Tourism Association (AIANTA).
“It has been my life’s mission to tell Indigenous stories and let people know we’re still here,” said AIANTA CEO Sherry Rupert. “Now we have alignment with another international organization that can help us tell our stories. That can help tour operators understand how important it is to include our Indigenous stories and Indigenous voices.”
NTA’s 2025 Travel Exchange is scheduled for November 9–12 in Ottawa, Canada.
